Seconds in Time

Page 23

Chapter Four: End of the Beginning

I stayed as far away from Alexander as I could without falling of the bed. Had it not been as big as it was that could have been a problem. Luckily I'm unhappily engaged to a man with an enormous bed, so I don't have to touch him. We wouldn't want any of that going on.

I stared out the window, fighting back tears. I don't cry around people and the last thing I want is for my fiancé, who is already superior to me in countless ways, to think any less of me. Of course, I would think that around anyone. I'm not a weak or over emotional person. I rarely cry and if I do it's never in front of anyone. I supposed this is different though.

I've been taken away from everything I love and it won't be any better when I wake up in the morning. My mother won't be waking me up in the morning. Either Alexander will or Marietta will beat me with a broom. She seems like the type to do something like that. Anyway, nothing is going to be the same. I'm sixteen and I want to live like I'm sixteen.

The urge became overbearing and I silently cried. I tried to keep any physical movement, including the inevitable shaking, to a minimum. I didn't think he would notice or care enough to do anything if he did. As the thought crossed my mind my heart ached a little more. This situation couldn't be worse.

"Are you crying?" So, I was wrong. It just got worse.

"What do you care?" I counter questioned and rolled onto my back, trying to stop the tear-flow.

Alexander shifted and I kept my eyes glued to the ceiling, not expecting him to suddenly appear in my line of vision. He had on arm on either side of me and was too far into my personal bubble for me to be comfortable. To make matters worse, I couldn't tear my eyes away from his. Despite what emotion they were filled with, if any at all, they were so deep and easy to drown in.

"Crying never solved anything." He told as a matter-of-factly and wiped the tears off my cheeks. "Now stop crying and sleep." I was so confused that I couldn't think of anything to say. I only nodded in response. He stared at me for another couple of seconds and then lied back down.

I curled up on my side, thinking about what had just happened. It just didn't fit together with everyone else. He shouldn't have even taken the time to say anything. He hadn't exactly been nice about it, but he wasn't mean about it either. He was insensitive at most. Are things going to stop making sense already? I thought I would at least have a few days.

I decided that crying wasn't going to help and I was going to be trapped here either way, so I just closed my eyes and tried to sleep. Around twenty minutes after I had lied there, trying to sleep I finally slipped into unconsciousness. And in that unaware state, everything was normal. It was the only place that nothing had changed.